Need immediate advice please! Scribe job

[arc5005]

I got offered a job with Scribe America, and I'm debating if it is worth it. I don't have any clinical or shadowing experience yet, so I figured this would be the perfect way for me to get it.

I would need to move out of state for the position, and it is minimum wage pay, but full-time, so I should be able to survive.

Does anyone have any opinions or experience with scribe jobs? Will it look really good on my resume?

I would have to balance working as a scribe full-time with taking the UNECOM online biochemistry course (at some point) and then also studying for the MCAT so that I could apply next year.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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[missmd123]

Is there any way you can get a scribe job in your area that you would not have to move out of state for? I honestly don't know if moving out of state for the job is really worth it.. Have you applied with ALL of the scribe companies in your area? I would advise you to exhaust all your options in state (if you haven't already) before you move out of state.

 

[Hippogriff]

After interviewing this past cycle, I noticed that a ton of people had scribe experience. It wasn't considered special, but still good experience. In order to live off its low pay, you would have to work a lot. It's going to be stressful with your classes and the MCAT. Check out opportunities to work/volunteer in your area to gain clinical experience. Hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, etc are always looking for volunteers if you can't get a paying gig.

 

[LChristmas]

Moving OOS kinda sucks. How far is OOS for you? If you're in the NE it's probably not as bad as if you were in the midwest/west. As far as balancing, I think you will be fine. Working 40 hours still gives you plenty of time to do other things, depending on shift work vs. 9-5.

 

[arc5005]

It would be pretty far away, but to a city I want to move to - mainly to get out of my hometown and to experience another area of the states for a year (the west coast).

I would be working ~40 hours, but not more than 40 hours. The minimum shift is 10 hours long. I would be making minimum wage, and I calculated it to be about $275.00 a week. I might be able to convince my parents to pay for my rent/phone bill. I would only need to take 1 class online and then study for the MCAT on my own. It is only a 1 year commitment, so I could move back home next summer.

 

[mathnerd88]

It would be pretty far away, but to a city I want to move to - mainly to get out of my hometown and to experience another area of the states for a year (the west coast).

I would be working ~40 hours, but not more than 40 hours. The minimum shift is 10 hours long. I would be making minimum wage, and I calculated it to be about $275.00 a week. I might be able to convince my parents to pay for my rent/phone bill. I would only need to take 1 class online and then study for the MCAT on my own. It is only a 1 year commitment, so I could move back home next summer.

I would NOT move out of state to make only $275 a week, but that's just my personal preference. Remember, there is a possibility you may lose your in-state status for medical schools and it takes a lot of effort to keep that.

Also, moving to the west coast means you may need a car to survive. It is not very easy to travel around the west coast without a car. It isn't like NE where we have good public transportation systems.

 

[arc5005]

I would NOT move out of state to make only $275 a week, but that's just my personal preference. Remember, there is a possibility you may lose your in-state status for medical schools and it takes a lot of effort to keep that.

Also, moving to the west coast means you may need a car to survive. It is not very easy to travel around the west coast without a car. It isn't like NE where we have good public transportation systems.

Is it not possible to just keep my NYS residency? I would only be in another state for 6 months of 2015, and 6 months of 2016, and then back to New York state.

I guess another important factor is that I applied to a lot of places around here, including my hometown, nearby cities, states in the NE and Mid-atlantic and they were all fully-staffed. I really want to get out of my hometown, since I just feel depressed here.

 

[mathnerd88]

Is it not possible to just keep my NYS residency? I would only be in another state for 6 months of 2015, and 6 months of 2016, and then back to New York state.

I guess another important factor is that I applied to a lot of places around here, including my hometown, nearby cities, states in the NE and Mid-atlantic and they were all fully-staffed. I really want to get out of my hometown, since I just feel depressed here.

You can keep your in state status if you make sure you file your income taxes correctly with federal and state.

But making a huge move just to make less than $300 a week is a huge risk, not to mention needing your parents to help you extra financially. There must be other options to gain clinical experience (volunteering, emt-b, etc.) I understand how depressing it is to stay in your hometown (I moved to Boston after staying all my life on NJ) but I was being offered a lot more than you and it was only a couple of hours away from home just in case things didn't work out.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

How long after applying did they get back to you for a job? Just curious

 

[arc5005]

How long after applying did they get back to you for a job? Just curious

This particular location got back to me after about 2 days and gave me an offer about an hour after an interview. Other locations I applied to mostly just sent a generic e-mail saying they were not hiring.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

I got offered a job with Scribe America, and I'm debating if it is worth it. I don't have any clinical or shadowing experience yet, so I figured this would be the perfect way for me to get it.

I would need to move out of state for the position, and it is minimum wage pay, but full-time, so I should be able to survive.

Does anyone have any opinions or experience with scribe jobs?

Scribing will get you both shadowing and clinical experience. However, depending on your department and physicians, it can be a difficult job, especially in the ER. You can ask the doctor anything and will get an explanation! Pfft, that's free education. You will get an LOR with no hesitation if you do a great job.

 

[SOOyC52H1Sof]

i wouldnt move for it... just try getting a scribe job in your area.

 

[Bones 2020]

I wouldn't. Find a research job and volunteer in a hospital. I feel like scribing is a load of garbage. The complexity you're supposed to learn, know, and do for minimum wage is criminal.

 

[justin1390]

Also agree on this one. Having lived most of my life on the west coast, living costs are high. I don't know what city this is in, but if it's a big city, you will have problems finding an apartment for rent at minimum wage. You will most likely get stuck renting a single room with a commute. If it's a rural hospital, that wage will get you by just fine. That said, I understand you might feel "stuck" or depressed where you are, but there's no reason to get into a worse situation without a solid game plan. If it delays you applying to med school another year, schools are going to start raising eyebrows. Better gameplan would be to volunteer at a hospital. Or get a research position with patient exposure. Would probably pay more, too.

Having said that, some experience is better than none, and if you really really really have dismal prospects anywhere else, I'd jump on it.

 

[Grace184]

Yea, west coast is expensive... I was offered a scribe America job after a phone and then Skype interview. The location was about 30-45 min away from my city and I was going to move for it anyway, plus it was in an affordable region. I decided against it bc as others have said, scribing is pretty common, and I felt that I had more substantial ECs so why take the crap pay when I could work more directly with patients for more money, still getting clinical experience? And wow, that was a run-on sentence but I'm don't feel like fixing it lol!

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I applied to ScribeAmerica about a week ago and haven't gotten a response

Then again, there's not many opportunities in my area so it's not too surprising lol

 

[biochem149]

i wouldnt move for it... just try getting a scribe job in your area.

This. Find a clinical job in your area. Moving out of state for minimum wage work is foolish. Heck you'd probably barely cover the cost of moving with the money you'd make let alone anything to live off of.

 

[usc_92]

I'm not sure about ScribeAmerica, but I work with another country and my hours are very consistent. Other scribes I know have the same complaint. Unless you have family members subsidizing your cost of living, you will struggle financially. Certainly provides you with valuable exposure, but definitely not worth moving if your family doesn't supplement.

 

[xiaomeimei6]

I was an ER medical scribe for more than two years and I loved my experience. The only prior medical experience I had was volunteering at a children's hospital and shadowing doctors, which was not fulfilling in my case. I found scribing to be an amazing opportunity to work alongside doctors. Plus, I am a highly organized person and I liked the work. It looked great on my resume, and during one of my medical school interviews, the physician interviewer has never even heard about a medical scribe and asked me more information about it. He was very intrigued.

However, as for your situation, I would definitely not move across the country to scribe since the pay is not great (but you get paid a few dollars more when you're promoted). My recommendation is apply to all the locations in New York and whichever New England states appeal to you. Nowadays, getting the scribe experience is becoming increasing competitive and the rosters may appear to stay full. I would recommend emailing the sites, who reply back to you since you now have their email, once a month to see if they have any anticipated openings. There is usually a higher turnover rate between April and September as old scribes leave for medical/PA/nursing school. In some cases, it may take a few months for the roster to free up and get an interview, but I think for you to scribe in your current area is better than moving all the way to the west coast unless you're financial set via family.

Being a medical scribe is a great way to start earning clinical/shadowing experience plus pay, but I know a few scribes who got bored of the work early in because they found completing medical charts tedious. If this is the case for you and you want more patient interaction, maybe basic EMT/ER technician/phlebotimist might be better suited for your personality or goals. I, however, enjoyed seeing different clinical presentations in the ER, learning how to interpret lab/XR/EKG results, and getting quizzed on the differential diagnosis and treatment plan for every patients. (My doctors treated me like a medical student.) If you have any more questions, feel free to message me.

 

[studentdocftw]

Scribing? Awesome. You truly learn and see a wide variety of cases depending on the department and trauma level of your hospital...just yesterday I saw several GSW (gun shot wounds) and a subdural hematoma that didn't make it . The possibility of seeing something that moves you, and motivates you even more to pursue medicine is priceless. However, be reasonable. Moving OOS for a scribe salary is probably not a good idea (unless of course, you can get funds elsewhere to help pay for rent, food, etc.). Also, look into the quality of scribing you may do...is the hospital high level trauma? Or mainly a fam med/internal kind of place. Do you mind getting paid minimum to watch seeking patients/sore throats? Or do you have to get high level patients to truly enjoy the experience? Take everything into account, and make an informed decision. Good luck!

 

[adrian710]

I got offered a job with Scribe America, and I'm debating if it is worth it. I don't have any clinical or shadowing experience yet, so I figured this would be the perfect way for me to get it.

I would need to move out of state for the position, and it is minimum wage pay, but full-time, so I should be able to survive.

Does anyone have any opinions or experience with scribe jobs? Will it look really good on my resume?

I would have to balance working as a scribe full-time with taking the UNECOM online biochemistry course (at some point) and then also studying for the MCAT so that I could apply next year.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I think it would be kinda cool, living solo, and getting ur stuff done. Visit home on off weekends.

 

[MedNation907]

I would tread lightly with scribe positions, and moving across the country with only that job to back you is risky. I worked with Elite Medical for about 7 months before they told us the contract with the hospital was expiring, and they did not want to renew. They dropped that on us like 1 month out from unemployment. Now luckily, I was at home and could fall back on my parents for finances but I still consider myself royally screwed by that company.

The UNE course, MCAT fees, costs for applying and traveling during interviews will probably prove expensive and it would help pocketing the costs you would spend on rent and food if you were on your own. If you're rolling in dough and just want the experience then there's nothing to consider, otherwise I find this particular offer a shortcoming.

EDIT: Just thought of the expense required to simply move yourself and belongings across the country, just to move it all back in 12 months? During which you will likely be making ends meet. Then possibly have to do it all over again if you were to get accepted to an OOS medical school? Ugh, I wince at the thought.

 

[absie107]

@MedNation907 I currently work as a chief scribe for a large site for Elite and was terrified the contract would expire... luckily it hasn't, but yeah. I worried I was hiring people for nothing. This company pays horribly and doesn't pay training and management is disjointed though sooooo maybe ScribeAmerica is better? I dunno. The companies know how good the experience is, which is why they take advantage of us financially.

Perhaps try to find a local position, or, as others have suggested, focus on something like EMT/CNA/volunteer + non-clinical work. Having previously worked as a waitress, I can tell you the ER and a restaurant are surprisingly (or not surprisingly at this point idk) similar places in terms of how you have to interact with others, and I'm sure you could garner great life experience from whatever position you find/choose. Best of luck!

 

[Soviet Poland]

Scribes have pretty high turn over (people who get into med school, PA school, nursing school every year). A new scribe position will almost assuredly open up closer in your area. Minimum wage is not a livable wage without support (i.e., help from home). Don't feel limited to these third party scribe companies in the ER. They take over half your wage. I matriculate this fall, but I've worked as a scribe in a private pediatric office for the past year. Though I will admit I got my start in the ER and it is an excellent learning environment.

My advice? Keep an eye out for a local scribe position. If you really want to move, find a higher paying job.

 

[MedNation907]

@MedNation907 I currently work as a chief scribe for a large site for Elite and was terrified the contract would expire... luckily it hasn't, but yeah. I worried I was hiring people for nothing. This company pays horribly and doesn't pay training and management is disjointed though sooooo maybe ScribeAmerica is better? I dunno. The companies know how good the experience is, which is why they take advantage of us financially.

I was thinking the same thing. I don't know much about ScribeAmerica but I pray for OP's sake they have a more competent team leading his position. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who caught wind of Elite's unorganized and unprofessional nature -- seriously from day 1 of training I fought constant resistance just to be let go after several months lol what a joke.

 

[Option7]

Yes

 

[Stephanopolous]

OP what part of NY?

 

[GrapesofRath]

The high attrition rate for scribes is definitely something to consider before moving out of state. It's not just people leave because they find other jobs being a scribe is a high stress job with rigorous training. Many just aren't able to perform well enough( and not performing well enough doesn't mean you aren't smart or didn't try hard enough its just not a job for everyone). And these companies have no hesitation in letting scribes who make mistakes go. the worst possible scenario is to start training and get let go within a month or two( which is not uncommon at all) right after moving out of state.

No one knows yet how the OP will do at this. It's just crucial to note many bright hardworking students just couldn't keep up with this profession and were let go without hesitation. It's a ruthless job.